Improvement in invalid-bedsteads



A. J. GOOD'WIN. Invalid Bedstemd.

No. 202,106. Patented April 9,1878;

WITINEESEE h v 1, EN ma NPEJTERS, PHDTO-UTHOGRAFHER, WASHINGTONv D CUNITED STATES PATENT QF IGE.

ASAHEL J/GOODWIN, 0F BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS.

IM PROVEM ENT IN lNVALlD-BEDSTEADS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 202,106, dated April 9,1878; application filed I February 1,1878.

To all whom it may concern Be it known ,that .I, ASAHEL J. GoonwIN,

:of Brookline, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in -I E[ospital-Bed- -steads, ofwhich the following .isa specifica- 4 Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectionof an invalid or hospital bedstead embodying my invention, the bed beingin a horizontal position. Dotted lines show the positions of the partswhen the upper portion'is raised and the lower portion lowered. In thisfigure the central section is represented as depressed, for the purposebelow explained. Figs. 2 and 3 are part transverse sections upon theline mm, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail view.

a a represent the head-board and foot-board, respectively, and b'theside rails. c is the mattress which rests upon the upper section f ofthe bed-frame; c, the mattress which rests upon the lower section f, andc" the mattress which lies upon the central section f. The upper or headsection f is that part which is capable of being swung upward. The loweror foot portion f is that part which is capable of being swung downward,and the narrow central portion f is that portion which is capable ofbeing lowered.

d is a shaft, extending across the bedstead under the section f. Thisshaft is square, three-sided, or polygonal, and the hub e of the cam efits exactly upon it.

By reference to Fig. 2 it will be seen that the hub e of the cam extendsinto the side rail 1). A similar cam and hub are placed upon theopposite end of the shaft (1, just within the opposite side rail 12.

By placing a key, 3 Fig. 2, upon the end of the shaft d and turning thesame, the cam 0,

whose hub e fits upon said shaft, raises the section f of the bedsteadinto the position shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 1, so as to alterthe position of the patient.

As the cam 6 has been shown in my patent of October 26,1875, No;169,099, I will not: describe it in detail. It will be seen, however,

or wrench y, and be keyed to the cam-hubs 6: between the rails. Ofcourse, if the cam-hubs 6 did not extend within the side rails b, the

shaft 01 would have to be made round at those points and squared againat its ends, so as to fit the key y. i

d is a shaft, similar to d, placed beneath the lower section f of thebedstead, provided with two cams, 6, similar to the cams 6. These camsare placed upon cam-hubs exactly similar to the cam-hubs e. The camsthemselves are placed in exactly opposite positions to the cams e, sothat when the cams a project down the cams e extend up. The lowersection f has on its lower side projecting ears, upon which thefriction-rollers g are jo'urnaled, said rollers resting upon the cams e,andby this means the section f is raised and lowered, as desired, as thecams e actuate it.

h is a rod, connecting the two shafts d and d, the object being to causethe simultaneous movement of the upper section f and the lower sectionf, so that when the upper section is swung up the lower section willswing down, and vice versa. Each end of the rod h is hinged to abifurcated sleeve, k, which lies on a socket-piece, l, fitting upon thesquare shaft.-

This is illustrated particularly in Fig. 3. The sleeve k is heldimmovably upon the socketpiece lby means of the set-screw k. Thus itwill be seen that if either shaft d or d is actuated both are turned. 1If it is desired to actuate either shaft without affecting the other,the set-screw k, which holds the sleeve k to the socket-piece Z fittingupon such shaft, is loosened. Thus the section f may be raised withoutaffecting the section f and the section f may be lowered withoutaffecting the section f. The upper and lower sections of the bedsteadmaythus be operated. together or separately.

d is a shaft under the central section f similar to the shafts d and d.Fixed to said shaft are a pair of hubs, 0", one near each side rail,from which extend levers 0, which hinge to levers 0, which hinge to thesection f From each end of said section a projection, m, extends, whichITlIlS in the track or groove n, which is attached to the side rail. A

When it is desired to use a bed-pan or chamber-vessel, the key 3 isapplied to one end of the shaft (1, and, turning it, brings the levers 00 into the position shown in Fig.-1,--

thus lowering the section f, (the projections m sliding in the groovesn, thus steadying the section.) The mattress 0 is then drawn out fromunder the patient, and the vessel placed upon the section f, and theshaft turned back until the levers o 0 are straight. When the vessel isto be removed, the central section is lowered, the mattress replaced,and the section raised, as before.

As a matter of convenience, although not of necessity, I usually make mybedstead in such a manner that it may be easily taken apart, as will beseen by referring to Fig. 1, where t represents a rest, into which the.foot-rail w rests, and the foot-boarda, which is of a piece with thelegs, is provided with a button, 2,

.what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the rising upper section f and the falling lowersection f of the bedstead, said sections being operated simultaneouslyby means of the reverse cams e and e and connecting-rod h, substantiallyas and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of the rod h, sleeves kk,

socket-piece ll, set-screws k k, and shafts d d,

all arranged substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

3. In a bedstead, the central section f, extending the width of saidbedstead, and adapted to be moved vertically up and down by means of theshaft d, levers o 0, hubs 0, and projection m, moving in groove n,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. The combination of the shaft d", hub 0", levers o and 0, projectionm, and side rail, having groove or track n, all substantially as and forthe purposes set forth.

ASAHEL J. GOODWIN.

Witnesses:

HENRY W. WILLIAMS, JOHN E. TREN'NING.

